drawing the ideal school technique · drawing the ideal school technique using a drawing technique...

Drawing the Ideal School Technique

Using a drawing technique based on personalconstruct psychology with pupils with ASD

Dr Jane Williams DEdPsy 2014, DECP Conference January 2016

Overview

Context of initial Drawing the Ideal SchoolTechnique (DIST) work

Context for EPs gathering children’s views

Establishing the case for PCP and drawingtechniques to seek views of children

Study design

Findings of study

Discussion and implications for future practice

Dr Jane Williams DEdPsy 2014 UCL, DECP Conference Jan 2016

Context of initial Drawing the Ideal SchoolTechnique (DIST) work

Action research seeking views of pupils with ASD aboutimportant features of school, informed future provision

Interest in Personal Construct Psychology locally

Adapted drawing the ideal self approach (Moran 2007)

Positive response from all involved(pupils/staff/parents/LA officers/health colleagues)

All 15 children in study engaged

Surprise finding!

Children with an ASD showed sophisticated understanding ofschool ethos and the impact of this on wellbeing ofthemselves and others


The sort of school Connor would NOTlike to go to: ‘St Asbo’s School’


The sort of school Connor WOULD liketo go to: ‘Fun School’


Context for gathering children’s views

National/international statutes and legislationunderpin responsibility of EP to seek children’sviews

Children have a right to have their views givendue weight

(Article 12 UN Convention Rights of Child) Children with SEN likely to experience barriers to

expressing wishes, aspirations and support needs Children with an ASD are especially vulnerable Range of potentially valuable techniques BUT risk

of offering donated content for children torespond to?


Personal Construct Psychology (PCP)Kelly (1955)

Kelly proposed that we hold our views about theworld as ‘constructs’

Constructs are “patterns that are tentatively triedon for size” (p9)

Our behaviour is ‘checking out’ that our views ofthe world (constructs) are valid

PCP framework can be conceptualised as a‘guidebook’ for life which is endlessly elaborated

Constructs are bi-polar – held in contrast


Using PCP drawing techniques to seekviews of children: the literature

“Children behave in particular ways because itmakes sense to them” Butler and Green (2007)

Ravenette (1980, 1997 and 1999) leadingproponent in using drawings with children toelicit their construct system

Work built upon by Dalton (1995), Beaver (1996),Moran (2001 and 2006), Maxwell (2006) and Belland Bell (2008)


Responses of children with ASD tostructured drawing tasks: the literature Huge literature - focus upon comparing the way in

which children with ASD develop drawing skills

ASD profile includes difficulties with creative thinkingand theory of mind which would predict that relatingto drawing tasks will be problematic

But robust range of evidence shows children withASD can and do use drawings within structured tasksto convey what they know

ASD children are as consistent as peers in what theyidentify about their drawings afterwards (Allen 2009)


Use of other structured drawing tasksto gain children’s views: the literature

‘Draw and write technique’ (Brading and Horstman1999 and 2002 and Knighting et al 2010)

Used with 99 children in hospital who werechronically sick at GOS – drew ideal hospital

Also used in wide-scale study (Knighting et al,2011) to gather the views of children about cancerand health behaviours.


Multi-modal meaning making byyoung children

Socio-cultural context – impact of media and visualculture (Fawson 2009)

Using visual images as symbols enables child tocognitively and socially engage in their environment(Jolley 2010)

Children do not readily discriminate between differentways of communicating

Drawing is complementary to - not separate from -talking (Vygotsky 1995, Matthew 1999, Coates andCoates 2006 and 2011)


Aim of DIST research study

To give further consideration to how a successfulPCP approach (with therapeutic roots) can be usedeffectively by staff in educational contexts to gainthe views of children with an ASD.


DIST research questions

Research questions were:

1. Can the DIST be refined for independent use by arange of adults supporting children with an ASD?

2. Does the new tool still provide a rich picture ofschool life for the child with an ASD?

3. How useful or valuable do the adults believe are theviews expressed by children who participate?

4. Are there differences in the experiences and views ofadults using the DIST in the AOS or SENCO role?

5. What themes do children with an ASD choose toexpress through the DIST?


DIST research study: Methodology Pilot study informed changes to original DIST and

development of guidelines for independent use

A flexible case study design was adoptedqualitative paradigm (Robson 2002).

Two groups of adults: AOS staff and SENCOs

30 pupils with an ASD invited – 16 pairs of adult/pupil participants

Adults completed scaling and feedback q’naire

16 pairs of drawing and comment proforma,covering 7 aspects of school life, 224 in total

Jane Williams DEdPsy 2010 UCL Dec 2012

Aspects of school life covered by DIST

1. The outside of the school

2. The playground or school yard

3. The classroom

4. The children

5. The adults

6. Me

7. The most important thing


Sample DIST A3 drawing proforma


DIST research study: Analysis

Analysis of adult feedback:

Matrix analysis using a template approach (Milesand Huberman 1994) utilised

Data gathered presented visually charts andthrough charts formed from a thematic analysis

Analysis of pupil drawings and comments:

Used 5 stage data analysis a framework approachproposed by Pope, Ziebland and Mays 2000

Resulted in a thematic map and interpretations

Jane Williams DEdPsy 2010 UCL Dec 2012

Findings from DIST research study:adult feedback

1. DIST was successfully used independently to seekpupils views by both adult groups

2. Both groups rated combination of drawing andcomments of pupils as rich

3. Difference was that AOS group judged product to bemore useful than SENCOs, although no discernibledifference in the pupils’ responses

4. Appeared to be different levels of confidencebetween the groups, AOS group adapted and enjoyedwork

5. Some SENCOs disappointed with predictability ofresponses


Pupils’ responses to using the DIST

All pupils engaged meaningfully

Combining the drawings and comments produced richand elaborate data

The developmental level of the drawing did not equatewith how effectively child communicated views

Small minority produced sparse drawings & briefcomments

Many pupils made imaginative responses

Pacing the work was important for a small minority

Asking about the ‘most important thing’ was valuable

Structured drawing frames contained work


DIST findings: themes expressed by pupils



1. Environmental features WOULD – building design,equipment/facilities and quality

“Everyone would want to go there!”



2. Ethos WOULD– activity, procedures, events



2. Ethos NOT – activity, procedures, events



3. Adult qualities WOULD– behaviour, demeanour, emotional state



4. Child qualities WOULD– behaviour, demeanour, emotional state

“They are chatting: taking turns in communicating and telling jokes”



5. Self qualities NOT – behaviour, demeanour, emotionalstate

Child comments: “Mum dragging me toschool..No No No No No...dragged holding onfor my life...birds running for their life...hate itthere.”



6. Characters NOT – named person/animal, fictionalcharacter(s), fictional animal/creature(s)


DIST findings: distinctive views


Discussion summary1. Appears refined DIST can be used independently of

EP by other adults, with no discernible difference inresponses of pupils with an ASD

2. Adults agreed that drawings and commentscombined gave rich information

3. Level of knowledge and understanding of childrenwith ASD challenges some of current psychologicaldiscourse

4. Key element of DIST is bi-polarity at crux of PCP5. Tool is content free beyond simple drawing proforma6. Child can only draw and talk about his own constructs

or knowing of the world


Implications for future practice

1. DIST offers contrast to other tools available:questionnaires, play materials, computer games

2. Fixed set of materials will influence range ofresponses and leave child more reliant on adult skill

3. Opportunities and threats of IT media

4. EP support for most vulnerable pupils and staff whomeet their needs?

5. Finally if the DIST can be used successfully by pupilswith social communication difficulties then could it beused more widely?


Further information

Contact details : [email protected]

Publication of revised DIST and guidelines is incurrently in preparation

Previous GAP paper details:

Williams, J. & Hanke, D. (2007). ‘Do you want to know what sort of school Iwant?’: Optimum features of school provision for pupils with autistic spectrumdisorder. Good Autism Practice, 8, (2), 51- 63


Key referencesAllen, M.L. (2009). Brief Report: Decoding Representations: How Children with Autism Understand Drawings. Journal of Autism and Developmental

Disorders, 39, 359-543.Coates, E. & Coates, A. (2011). The subjects and meanings of young children’s drawings. In Faulkner, D. & Coates, E. (Eds) Exploring Children’s

Creative Narratives. (pp. 86-108). Routledge: Oxon.Humphrey, N. & Lewis, S. (2008). ‘Make me normal’. The views and experiences of pupils on the autistic spectrum in mainstream secondary schools.

Autism, 12, 23-46.Kelly, G.A. (1955). The Psychology of Personal Constructs. Vols. 1 and 2. New York: Norton. (Re-printed 1991, London: Routledge).Knighting, K., Rowa-Dewar, N., Malcolm, C., Kearney, N. & Gibson, F. (2011). Children’s understanding of cancer and views on health-related

behaviour: a ‘draw and write’ study. Child: Care, Health and Development, 37, (2), 289-299.Lee, A. & Hobson, R. P. (2006). Drawing self and others: How do children with autism differ from those with learning difficulties? British Journal of

Developmental Psychology, 24, 547-565.Lim, H.K. & Slaughter, V. (2008). Brief Report: Human Figure Drawings by Children with Asperger’s Syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental

Disorders, 38, 988-994.Low, J., Goddard, E. & Melser, J. (2009) Generativity and imagination in autism spectrum disorder: Evidence from individual differences in children’s

impossible entity drawings. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 27, 425-444.Lundy, L. (2007). ‘Voice’ is not enough: conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. British Educational

Research Journal , 33, 927 -942.Martin, N. (2008). Assessing Portrait Drawings Created by Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Art Therapy: Journal of the

American Art Therapy Association, 25, (1), 15-23.Maxwell, T. (2006). Researching into Some Primary School Children’s Views About School: Using Personal Construct Psychology in Practice with

Children on the Special Needs Register. Pastoral Care in Education, 24, 1, 20-26.Miles, M.B. & Huberman, A.M. (1994). An Expanded Sourcebook: Qualitative Data Analysis. Thousand Oaks: Sage.Moran. H. (2001). Who do you think you are? Drawing the Ideal Self: a technique to explore a child’s sense of self. Clinical Psychology and

Psychiatry, 6, 599-604.Moran, H. (2006). A very personal assessment: using a personal construct psychology technique (Drawing the Ideal Self) with young people with ASD

to explore the child’s view of the self. Good Autism Practice, 7, (2), 78-86.Pope, C., Ziebland, S. & Mays, N. (2000). Qualitative research in health care. Analysing qualitative data. British Medical Journal, 320, 114-116.Ravenette. T. (1999). Personal Construct Theory in Educational Psychology. A Practitioner’s View. London: Whurr.Robson. C. (2002). Real World Research. Oxford: Blackwell.Williams, J. & Hanke, D. (2007). ‘Do you want to know what sort of school I want?’: Optimum features of school provision for pupils with autistic

spectrum disorder. Good Autism Practice, 8, (2), 51- 63.Williams, J. (2014). Developing the Ideal School Drawing Technique to gather the views of children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Unpublished

DEdPsy Thesis, University College London.


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